Improvement in hay-racks for wagons



' 11A. JACKSON.

I Hay-Rack.

Patented May 22, ]866 ihventor'f W lmwk Witnesses:

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAY-RACKS FOR WAGONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 54,914, dated May 22, 1866.

. To all whom it may concern:

hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is an inverted plan of my invention; Fig.2, side view of the same; Fig. 3, an end view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved hay and grain rack for wagons; and it consists in constructing the rack in such a manner that it may be readily converted from a hay and grain rack into a rack or support for carrying cord-wood, bale hay or straw, 850., and vice versa, and the rack rendered capable of being placed upon and removed from a wagon by a single person with the greatest facility.

A represents a rectangular frame, of any length suitable for the Wagon to which it is to be applied, and of such a width that it may set between its wheels at each side without being in contact with the same.

B represents transverse bars which are fitted underneath the frame A in loops or sta ples C. These bars are each composed of two longitudinal parts, a a, placed side by side, and having beveled or oblique inner sides, which abut against each other, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, each bar having a wedge or key, D, fitted vertically between its parts, by which said parts, by driving down the wedges or keys, may be firmly bound in the loops or staples, the wedges or keys, in being driven down, causing the parts a a to be drawn or moved in the direction indicated by the arrows, owing to the key-slots in the parts a a being out of line with each other, and this movement of the parts insures the bending of the bars B in the loops or staples.

The two central bars BB project beyond the sides of the frame A, and have cleats E attached to them by pins 11. Between these cleats E, at each side of the frame A, boards F are fitted, which are secured in position by pins 0 passing into the bars B.

The rear bar B is provided with similar cleats E, and these cleats form abntments for Wheel-fenders G, which may be constructed of wood or metal. I prefer metal tubes, (gastubes.)

The front ends of the front fenders Gare fitted in cleats H, which are attached to the ends of a bar, I, the latter being secured to uprights J J, attached to the front part of the frame A by screw-bolts K, said uprights having the ladder or guard L pivoted to them.

M represents boards which are fitted in the frame A, and have their ends adjusted between bottom and top bars, N N, thereof, so that they can be drawn from and fitted in the frame above the bars B and their wedges or keys D. I

The parts above described represent the device as a hay'or grain rack. In order to conertit into a platform or rack for carrying wood, bale hay or straw, or other compact substances, the fenders G are removed by detaching the cleats E E H. The boards F are also removed, as well as the bars B and I, and the front ladder or guard may also be removed by detaching the uprights J J.

This arrangement, it will be seen, not only renders the rack capable of being converted from a hay or grain rack into a platform for carrying other articles, but also admits of the rack being readily applied to and detached from a wagon by a single person with the greatest facility.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1-. In connection with the frame A, the detachable bars B, constructed of two parts, a a, and fitted to the frame in the manner substantially as shown and described.

2. The removable wheel-fenders G, attached to the cleats E E H on the bars B B B I, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The removable boards F F, placed between the cleats E E, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the frame A, bars B, fenders G, and ladder or guard L, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose specified.

ALBERT J AOKSON Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, G. L. E. TOPLIFF. 

